The Shadow of What Was Lost/Chapter 16
| next= }} Summary Asha is back in the library at Tol Athian, almost a week after her meeting with the Shadraehin, and there has been no sign of the Northwarden. Jin's replacement, Tendric, is there as well and asks if Asha knows anything about what happened to Jin. No one has seen him in the last week and there are whispers from Raden that maybe Jin got on the wrong side of the crowd he was involved in. Asha finally has enough and snaps in anger at Tendric, telling him that she is sure that the Shadraehin had nothing to do with Jin, and that Jin was a good man and Raden is a foolish liar. Tendric is taken aback and apologizes and Asha gets up and leaves the library and heads back to her room. Back in her room, Asha collapses on her bed trying to shut out the images of Jin's final moments. Suddenly two men, one older and one younger, seem to appear from nowhere in the corner of the room and startle Asha when one of them speaks. The older man introduces himself as Duke Elocien Andras, the Northwarden, and tells Asha not to be alarmed that he is only there for information. Asha quickly gathers her scattered thoughts and asks how they got into her room, but the Duke waves away the question saying he will explain laterElocien used a Vessel called a Veil to bring them into the room without Asha seeing, see . and leans down to listen to something his servant whispers in his ear. When he rises, he tells Asha that this was a waste of time and is sorry to have bothered her.Erran has just Read Asha and is telling Elocien that she has a deal with the Shadraehin, see . Asha quickly responds asking the Duke not to go and that she wants to help find out what happened to her friends. The Duke notices some of the pictures on Asha's desk that she has been drawing of Davian, Wirr, and some of her other friends from the school, and the Duke seems interested in them. Asha tells him that those are drawings of her friends who died. The Duke asks Asha to tell him about them, and Asha goes into detail about Davian being honest, smart and loyal, and about Wirr being loud and brash, but clever enough to fix what he did wrong before getting into trouble. Asha is thrown off slightly when she notices how rapt the Duke attention seemed at her descriptions, but he quickly puts back on a passive face. He asks his servant again if he is sure, to which the younger man replies yes, then the Duke asks if Asha really wants to help and find out what is going on. Asha quickly agrees, and the Duke tells her to call him Elocien when not in public and that it's time to go knock on Nashrel's door. The three head to the Council chamber. Elocien tells Asha to let him do the talking, then proceeds to kick open the door, telling Asha that it puts them off-balance. All three enter the room, interrupting what appears to be an official Council meeting, including a supervising Administrator and Scrivener. The Northwarden orders the Administrator and Scrivener to leave then turns to Elder Eilinar. The Elder looks around desperately and tries to begin by saying Asha didn't have anything to tell and they didn't want to bother him, but Elocien quickly cuts him off. The Elder apologizes saying she was the only one to survive an attack and they wanted to keep her close to observe her, but that they were mistaken to not inform him. Elocien growls that they made her a Shadow and put her to work, and if he hadn't found her, she likely would have rotted away in the library. The Elder tries asking how the Northwarden did find out about Asha, but Elocien deflects the question telling the Council that she will be going with him. Nashrel tries arguing, telling the Northwarden that he does not have permission to take someone from the Tol, and doing so anyways would violate the Treaty. Elocien responds the Treaty doesn't include her now that she is no longer Gifted. The Elder tries a different tact saying that there is no cause, and Asha cannot be taken against her will. Asha steadily responds that she would like to go with the Northwarden. Nashrel recovers after a moment and tell the Duke that if they take her, he will lose his best chance at finding him.The Duke's son Wirr. Elocien asks if that was a threat, to which the Nashrel quickly replies that he only meant that observing Asha would be the best way to learn something that could help. Elocien pauses thoughtfully, then tells the Council he has a proposition. Elocien will reinstate the position of a Representative from Tol Athian at court, and Asha can become their apprentice. The Tol's Representative would mentor her and continue to monitor her. The Elder looks aghast at Asha and back to the Duke and claims it would not be possible since she is a Shadow, and that other Gifted would kill for that position. Elocien interrupts saying it's that or nothing. The role doesn't require the ability to use the Gift, and once the Houses know she is not with the Shadraehin, then they would feel more comfortable talking with her than one of the Gifted. They will also continue to keep her secret about being the only survivor of an attack. The Elders grudgingly agree to the terms of the Duke's arrangement, and Elocien, Asha, and his servant turn and leave as quickly as they entered. The three are now walking through the sunny streets of Ilin Illan, and Asha sees people stopping and staring, pointing them out to their children. At first Asha thinks they are pointing and staring at her, but quickly overhears whispers as they pass that everyone is focused on the Northwarden. The man who created the Tenets. Asha asks if the Duke really plans of making her a Representative, and he replies that yes and that he will explain all in good time. Characters Appeared *Ashalia Chaedris as Asha *Duke Elocien Andras *Erran as the Duke's servant *Elder Nashrel Eilinar *Tendric Mentioned *Davian *Haliden *Jin *Raden *Torin Wirrander Andras as Wirr Geography *Caladel (mentioned) *Ilin Illan *Sanctuary (mentioned) *Tol Athian Terms *Administration *Decay Clock *Gifted *Northwarden *Scrivener *Shadow *Shadraehin *Tenets *Treaty Category:Chapters